Tips for Traveling Ireland on Your Own

Travelers come in all different varieties. Some travelers want to just get on a plane and let someone else do all the thinking and work for them. These people book tours and happily trot off to see, eat, drink, and sleep how someone else has planned for them. Other travelers want control of their vacations. They know they might change their mind and want the right to do so. Especially when finally realizing their dream and heading towards Ireland. But then doubt creeps in. How do you plan a trip to a country you have never been to? "This isn't the mall parking lot", you tell yourself firmly. Well, no, but actually, I find it easier to travel through strange territories than I do to maneuver my way through a parking lot!

And traveling Ireland on your own is really not as scary as you might think. Seriously, exactly how lost can you get on an Island? Other than accidentally driving into Northern Ireland (we won't mention how I know this!), which is no longer an issue as border checks are non-existent, in Ireland, if in doubt you just keep driving...you are going to find something wonderful to see no matter where you are. The greatest treasures of Ireland are truly hidden on back roads and in tiny villages, places often left off a tour schedule. Traveling Ireland on your own will give you a sense of freedom to explore or to just stay in one location if you become enthralled with a landscape or seascape. So be brave, create your own Irish vacation to discover the country's beauty, people, and history without the limitations of a tour group. Your biggest challenge will be to limit yourself to only what you can fit into your schedule as there is something to see literally everywhere on this one island.

Study Ireland through the Internet, books and a quality travel guidebook to make a list of the sights you want to experience. Decide which section of Ireland you want to focus on, and if you want to visit the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, or both. When your list of things you want to see turns into an entire notebook, make a two column list, one column for "must see" locations and one for "if I can" destinations.

Create a logical itinerary that takes you from one county to the next to avoid crisscrossing the country like a crazed rabbit. You don't want to put day one in Dublin and day two in Galway with day three in Cork. Even though you could drive between these places in a day, you would have to zoom past every interesting site along the way and see everything else through bleeding eyes of exhaustion. You can not fully appreciate a country by flying down the motorways with your hands clenched in a death grip on the steering wheel while your navigator snores in the seat on the wrong side of you. A good plan of action when traveling Ireland on your own is to think in terms of following a coastal route or a central route to help you organize in your head what you really want to see and do.

Decide on your mode of travel once you arrive in Ireland... by rental car, bus, train, or even hiking. Many of Ireland's sites are located in places not serviced by bus or train. If you can get a rail/bus combination pass carefully compare your choices to the routes available and check schedules to avoid being stranded in villages with little or no service. If traveling by rental car you need to let the car rental company know if you want to use diesel or gasoline and if you need an automatic. You will automatically be given a standard transmission in Ireland if you do not specify.

Once you have an idea of how you want your vacation to go, choose your flights as they will determine the rest of your vacation. You may find better deals and times into or out of one airport or the other and need to adjust your itinerary accordingly. The best part of planning your own trip is nothing is set in stone and you can always change your mind.

There are several options for flying into Ireland. You can take direct flights to Shannon, Dublin, or Belfast for Northern Ireland. The City of Derry Airport also has international flights. Flying into another European country then flying into Cork, Donegal, Kerry, Knock, Sligo, or Waterford is another option you should look into.

Once you have your itinerary planned, choose which locations you would like to stay along your route. Check the miles between each location on your list to make sure you do not overbook accommodations. Many places you want to visit can be done as day trips from one location, for example, if you want to leave your planned route to dip into Kilkenny from Wexford this can be a simple day trip without changing your destination itinerary. Use your guide book and the Internet to locate hotels, cottages, hostels or bed and breakfasts and carefully read the reviews.

Purchase your tickets first, and then book your hotels and your vehicle. You can travel by train or bus, paying as you go, or you can purchase a Eurail pass for the train or a combination rail and bus pass online to save money.

Tips

Learn Euro money. Each bill is a different size and color. Check the exchange rates up to the day you leave for Ireland as these fluctuate daily and will determine how much you will need for your trip.Coins are not small change as in America. Learn your coins to keep from losing money.

Carry a tarp and bungee cords in luggage to cover luggage that may have to go on top of a vehicle.

Remember you can rent self catering cottages within easy driving of other locations to save moving every night.

Warnings

Be very careful when renting a vehicle. Emphasize exact location and date you want to pick up to avoid your car being on the other side of Ireland.

Cars in Ireland run small so remember a medium size will be equal to an American small.

Buses in Ireland usually do NOT have bathrooms and do NOT make special stops.

Call all accommodations to make sure of their months of operation, prices and rules as these vary from season to season.

Sources:

Rick Steve's Europe
Travel Ireland: Irish Airports
Darcy Sautelet: Travel The World